Top 5 TV Shows That Need a Makeover in 2013

Thanks to people like Lena Dunham, Louis C.K. and Glen Mazzara, TV rocked in 2012. Their shows kept us entertained all year round. But there were also programs that didn’t deliver the goods. Some were newbies that failed to make an impression, while others were mismanaged vets. Showrunners squashed our high-hopes with unrealistic plotlines, and forced us into hate-watching. Here are five TV shows that are in desperate need of a makeover in 2013.

5. 2 Broke Girls

CBS’s 2 Broke Girls is an obnoxious show, chock-full of racial jokes and sex puns. It’s really a shame because its star, Kat Dennings, is awesome. She’s the reason we gave it a shot in the first place. Even her co-star, the charming Beth Behrs is enticing. But they can only do so much. Sometimes they can deliver the bad dialogue with charm and pizzazz, but usually the rape jokes are just too much. This show needs a dose of better writing stat!

4. Whitney

Whitney Cummings is a very entertaining lady, her NBC show — not so much. We’ll admit that it’s improved since its inception, but one big problem remains: it’s just not funny. Most of the jokes are bad, and the good ones are so few and far between. There’s a lively sitcom in there somewhere, but they’re taking a painfully long time to find it.

3. Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is the polar opposite of Arrow (both air on The CW). It’s just a pain to watch. The show is loosely inspired by the ’80s series of the same name, but lacks the same charm. Jay Ryan and Kristin Kreuk are beautiful people, but that’s part of the problem. There’s too much beauty and not enough beast. It’s supposed to be about a beautiful woman, who falls for a man despite his horrid appearance. But the network wasn’t going to cast a surly looking dude. And that’s not even the worst problem – the two leads have no chemistry. Without it, a romantic series like this is bound to fail.

2. Glee

The fourth season of Glee has been improving, with the exception of that horrible Christmas episode. But there are still some things that need to be addressed. The musical numbers need to improve. No more Britney homages, please. Those tribute episodes are distracting and hurt the show. There should be full-on dedication to the characters and their issues. The new cast members are growing on us, but they’re not memorable. And bringing back old characters all the time isn’t helping. Glee needs an overhaul.

1. Homeland

We’re not saying Homeland is bad television. With its bipolar protagonist, terrorist plots and twisted politics, it’s one of the best. But the second season had some problems. The downward spiral started during “Broken Hearts,” when Nazir kidnapped Carrie and forced Brody to get the number from the Vice President’s pacemaker in order to kill him. There were serious plot holes from then on. The writers wrote themselves into a corner, and it was painful seeing them try to fix it. In many ways, the finale served as a reset for the show. With the bomb, they were able to kill off characters and thus some distracting plots. Maybe Homeland‘s makeover has already started?